Forget about paying $100 for a 60-minute massage; according to a new study you are better off lifting weights to ease lower back pain.
Researchers from the University of Alberta say people who add weight training to their fitness regime experience less back pain than those who participate solely on other forms of exercise, such as tennis, jogging or biking.
The study followed people suffering with chronic back pain as they participated in a 16-week exercise program. The participants were split into two groups. The first group completed resistance training using dumbbells, barbells and other load-bearing exercise equipment. The second group took part in aerobic training such as jogging, walking on a treadmill or using an elliptical machine.
The study showed a 60 percent improvement in pain and function levels for the resistance-training group. In contrast, the study participants who took part in aerobic training to ease their back pain only experienced a 12 percent improvement.
Researchers maintain that any activity that makes you feel better is something you should pursue, but the study results indicate that you can achieve better back pain management from resistance training.
“The extra benefits stem from using the whole-body approach required in resistance training,” the study’s author wrote. “We tried to strengthen the entire body and by doing that, we decreased the fatigue people felt throughout the day. They were better able to perform their activities of daily living.”
Bottom line: Aerobic activity did little to lessen lower back pain.
Researchers note that aerobic training generally works the lower body, which may be one of the reasons why study participants did not experience much in the way of pain relief. Researchers were also quick to point out that both the weightlifting exercises and the cardio work did provide fitness benefits, such as lower body fat.
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